There is more than one type of abortion procedure, each done at different points of pregnancy. The two types of abortion procedures include medical abortion and surgical abortion.
Medical Abortion
Also called ‘the abortion pill,’ medical abortion involves not one but two drugs that end an existing pregnancy.
The first drug, mifepristone, works to block the womb from absorbing progesterone – a hormone only produced during pregnancy. Blocking this hormone prevents the embryo from implanting or growing any further.
Misoprostol goes a step further and causes the uterus to contract and remove the pregnancy through the vagina. Typically, Mifepristone is prescribed at an abortion clinic, and Misoprostol is taken at home – 24 to 48 hours later.
Risks of Medication Abortion
There are some potential risks of medication abortion to think over before making a final decision, including:
- Incomplete abortion (may need to be followed by surgical abortion)
- An ongoing unwanted pregnancy (if the procedure doesn’t work)
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Digestive system discomfort
- Infection
- Fever
Surgical Abortion
There are two types of surgical abortion: Dilation & Evacuation (D&E) and Dilation & Curettage (D&C). Both surgical procedures dilate your cervix and use vacuum aspiration as well as surgical tools to remove the pregnancy from the uterus.
Risks of Surgical Abortion
Each surgical abortion has similar processes of termination and comes with the same risks, including:
- Perforation of the uterus (when a surgical instrument pokes a hole in the uterus)
- Damage to the cervix
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall
- Infection
- Excessive bleeding
You Deserve the Facts
It’s important to first consult with a medical provider or pregnancy resource center before proceeding with any type of abortion. Be sure to understand all the risks, complications, and potential impacts.
Be sure of your pregnancy details to understand if you qualify for an abortion. Confirm your pregnancy results with our support team here at Life Center.
We offer free and confidential self-administered pregnancy tests so you can be sure of where your pregnancy stands. If you are pregnant, we can also talk about all your options.
Schedule a pregnancy test appointment to verify your results today. We are here for you along the way.